


Point of No Return

by monsterslut13



Series: Rewind [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alien Sex, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Daddy Issues, Feels, M/M, Post Hunting the Archon, Scott doesn't want to admit his feelings, Scott is default Scott cause the customization sucks, Scott's kinda hopeless, Smut, This started as smut and turned into a story, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-06-30 03:34:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15743412
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monsterslut13/pseuds/monsterslut13
Summary: After facing the Acheron and the discovery of the Salarian Ark, Scott finds himself in a bad place, he doesn’t want to be Pathfinder anymore, he feels like he doesn’t deserve it after leaving Raeka behind. Against the wishes of his superiors, Scott takes a shuttle and a week’s worth of supplies with the intention not to come back. A system malfunction causes Scott to crash land on Havarl where the Pathfinder is forced to face the things he is running from and with a little help, he might not have to face them alone...





	1. 01.

**Author's Note:**

> Well this honestly started out as smut cause fucking hell Jaal is beautiful and boom, turned into an actual story...not even gonna apologize...I just wish Bioware would let your customize personalities a little better...well a lot better. 
> 
> I do not own Mass Effect or anything affiliated with it, I'm just playing in their cubby house

_He remembers flashing lights and loud, ear piercing beeps followed followed by pain...lots of pain. There was something crushing his chest, Scott couldn’t breath, couldn’t think properly, couldn’t articulate a coherent thought to make his brain actually work let alone use his biotics to make his escape easier. Hell, Scott didn’t even know where he was or if there was a breathable atmosphere outside. He could die inside the shuttle, pinned down by god knows what, or die outside. Maybe that was what he wanted?_

 

_Why’d he have to do it? Why did he decide to take a shuttle and single handedly take on the Kett with nothing but anger and self-loathing to fuel him? Scott Ryder wasn’t worthy of the title of Pathfinder, he was no hero, he was a murderer...maybe it would be better if he just died?  A properly trained Pathfinder would have saved both the Krogan scouts and Raeka...someone like Cora. Cora could take the mantle and do a much better job than he could. A fucking monkey could do a better job than Scott could._

 

_When the wreckage of the shuttle shifted, Scott cried out, the pain in his chest was too much and he almost blacked out. He could hear shouting outside in a familiar language and all he could do was pray that it wasn’t the Kett that had found him. As if the last encounter with the Archon hadn’t left a lasting impression on him, he’d died...again. When the light hit his eyes Scott cried out and shut them as more alarms started blaring in the background. He shouted for SAM to make the noise go away as everything came to a crashing halt…_

 

Scott sat up with a gasp, his head spinning as he waited for the room to stop spinning and his vision to stabilize. Everything hurt, his entire body was one giant raw, throbbing nerve that he wasn’t looking forward to hearing about when Lexi got a hold of him. She’d kicked his ass from here to the Milky Way and back again for doing something so reckless and foolish. He ran a hand through his hair and grimaced at the filth caked in his normally pristine black hair, if his hair was like this he hated to see what the rest of him was like. “SAM? You there?”

 

“ _You’re awake Scott. I shall inform Jaal immediately so he can send Doctor T'goran in to inspect your injuries._ ”

 

The AI did not sound happy with him, not at all. “SAM, what happened?” Scott asked, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and giving himself a moment before he stood up on shaky feet. His view from the window looked right out of the window of someone’s home into a garden that was full of very familiar plants. He was on Havarl but...how did he get here?

 

“ _There was a critical systems malfunction on the shuttle you took and it crash landed on Havarl_ ,” SAM explained. “ _The last technician who serviced the shuttle missed several worn wires. You suffered a dislocated shoulders, two broken ribs, internal bruising and a skull fracture. You are lucky to be alive Scott._ ”

 

“Yeah I get that a lot,” Scott frowned. He carefully walked over to the window and leant against the glass to look down at the garden, he could see several Angara moving about and they all looked...happy. Then again, the Angaran’s always looked happy even when it came to something so mundane as gardening. Cora was a big fan of gardening, maybe she’d fit right in here. “So how much trouble am I in exactly?”

 

“ _Doctor T’Perro and Doctor Carlyle have signed off on some leave for you Scott, after what happened with the Salarian ark and having to stop your heart, both parties agreed that it would be beneficial for you and your team to have some shore leave. The Tempest will be here on Havarl at the end of the week._ ”

 

“How long is that?” Scott questioned, not bothering to look at his omni-tool for that information. Before SAM was able to answer his question, the door opened and Jaal entered the room followed closely by an Angaran he knew to be Jaal’s mother and an Asari. “Doctor T’goran I presume?” he asked. He tried his best to keep his eyes off of Jaal...too much heartache there to want to visit. Trust him to fall for an alien from another galaxy who clearly doesn't return his feelings. Maybe he should just take take Peebee up on her offer for a strings free evening when he gets back to the Tempest. At least that would take away the physical ache.

 

“Hies T’goran,” she answered. “I’m in charge of all Initiative staff medical needs whilst we settle into Havarl. Once you've been checked over, I'm to report to Tann on your condition.”

 

“Take a seat on the bed Pathfinder so we can check how your injuries are faring.” Doctor T’goran urged. The doctor steered him back to the bed and practically made him sit down so she could start giving him a physical checkover. The entire time Jaal and his mother stayed silent but Scott was painfully aware of their presence. Doctor T’goran withdrew when her examination was finished and proceeded to write some notes up on her omni-tool. “Your injuries are healing nicely Pathfinder...I will come back in a few days for another checkup. Take it easy and take a shower. You don’t half smell.”

 

Scott resisted the urge to roll his eyes, that was a fact he already knew. “Thanks Doctor T’goran,” he nodded, following the Asari with his eyes as she left the room along with Jaal, leaving him alone with Sahuna. “I’m honoured you’re taking time out of your day to come and see how I’m holding up,” Scott told her, his voice dripping with sarcasm and bitterness.

 

“Pathfinder, you are a guest in my home,” Sahuna told him, “you are not taking any time out of my day that I am not willing to give.” She smiled lightly and crossed the room to sit on the bed beside him. “It is not uncommon for someone in positions of power like yourself to have second guesses about the choices that they’ve made.”

 

“I’m that readable huh?” Scott scoffed. He sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, “my dad wouldn’t have stuffed this up this bad, neither would Cora. I’m not fit to be the Pathfinder.” Scott got off the bed and looked over at the door that sat on the opposite side of the room. “So I assume that that leads to a bathroom?” he asked, desperate to change the subject.

 

“Jaal borrowed some clothes from other humans at Daar Pelaav and left them for you to change into when you awoke,” she explained. “My son has been most worried about you Pathfinder. It was lucky he was already here visiting us when your shuttle crashed.” Sahuna got off the bed and walked to the bedroom door, “when you are finished, you are free to come and go as you please.”

 

“Thank you,” Scott nodded before he closed himself in the bathroom. It took a bit of guesswork and help from SAM but he managed to figure out how to use it. He let the boiling water wash over his aching body that happened to be a lovely canvas of black and blue bruises. There was so much to go over in his mind but Scott's biggest problem was that he didn't want to, he just wanted the simple days back but with his father dead and Sara in a coma it was just him. Sara would have made the better Pathfinder, she was the responsible oldest one, Scott was the disappointment, something his father had called him on many occasions. Finally he dragged himself out of the shower and dressed in the familiar blue and white clothes common to the Initiative, choosing to forgo shoes at this point cause solid ground felt good on his bare feet. Scott emerged from the bathroom to find Jaal sitting on his bed. “Jaal? What's up buddy?”

 

The Angaran was silent for what seemed like a hundred years. Scott could see that he was thinking, the cat-like eyes that held galaxies within them and were the human's favorite thing in Andromeda were fixed on him and followed his every movement. “You are a foolish man Scott Ryder.” Jaal stood up.

 

“Verdict went out on that about six hundred years ago,” Scott scoffed. He crossed his arms and studied the Angaran, part of him was more than willing to put his heart out on his sleeve but the other part of him wanted to be selfish and it was that part that won out. “Is there something else you wanted other than reminding me of my dad’s disappointment?”

 

“Your crew cares about you Scott,” the Angaran reminded him.

 

“Because they have to,” Scott scoffed. “I’m the Pathfinder, the guy with the AI in his head, they have to. There are far more qualified people to take the job than me. People who don’t leave others behind, people who don’t have to choose to save lives.” He pinched his nose and sighed, “you should go and spend some with your family like you intended instead of dealing with me.” He made his way over to the window to look back out over the garden.

 

Scott could feel Jaal’s eyes boring into his back and it took every fiber of his being not to turn around. He almost sighed in relief when he heard the Angaran stand and shuffle towards the door. “I do not care about Scott the Pathfinder, I care about Scott Ryder, the human who is hurting and will not allow anyone to help...who will not allow me to help.”

 

The door that closed behind Jaal hurt more than anything. Six hundred years, a new galaxy, a new home, and Scott Ryder was just as confused as he had been when he’d left the Milky Way.


	2. 02.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott Ryder is a foolish man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've changed the chapter amount to five instead of three cause I had an idea and this smut with plot/feels needs an epilogue. 
> 
> It may be short but I really couldn't bring myself to ruin the perfect vibe this chapter had where I finished it. 
> 
> I do not own Mass Effect or anything affiliated with it, I'm just playing in their cubby house

Scott had never been good like his sister was when it came to using his biotics. He was more the kind of guy who liked to shoot something or beat it down over using mass effect fields to slam things into the enemy. Both he and Sara had the same training but she was always better at it. Although he was the first to admit that his biotics came in handy whilst he was in a pinch even if they were something he could do on the side. He never really liked to give them a second thought and usually didn’t unless he was frustrated or angry, then things tended to either float or explode. That was when he had a problem.

 

Core was helping him with it, she’d provided a series of meditation exercises acquired from her time as an huntress and they were helpful but only as helpful as Scott’s ability to concentrate was. And right now it was very little. The Pathfinder had practically hidden the entire day in the quarters he’d been given by Jaal’s family so that he could heal, he lay in bed and listened to music from his omni-tool, remembering how he and Sara would do this whenever the other was upset and needed the universe to just be the two of them. Jaal’s words were playing on his mind adding to the rest of the galaxy of garbage he had to deal with.

 

When the Angaran came to check on him later into the afternoon, Jaal entered the room to find Scott lying on the bed staring up at the roof as a variety of objects floated around the room glowing blue. “You need to get out of this room Scott,” he told him. “Perhaps you would join me for a walk? We can talk if you like.”

 

Scott mulled it over and sat up after a minute or two of silence, watching as the items fell to the floor with a clang. “Yeah, a walk seems just fine.” He got to his feet and looked around for his boots to put them on. “I haven’t seen Havarl since we were here last and I want to know how the environment is going. The last readings I got were really impressive. And I guess the fresh air will do me good.”

 

The silence between the two of them was in no way comfortable, in fact, it was actually pretty damn awkward and Scott wasn’t sure what to do about the situation. He wanted to know what the extent of Jaal’s care was...was it just as friends or was it something more? He thought the Angaran were supposed to be open with their feelings? The Pathfinder stayed in silent contemplation as Jaal led him down an unfamiliar path that ultimately carried both to a cliff that overlooked the valley where the research station of Daar Pelaav was nestled. Scott absently picked a rock up off the ground and threw it off the edge, he waited until it was a far way down before his biotics flared and he pulled the rock straight back into his hand. “This view is beautiful.”

 

“Scott, you were there for me when we rescued the Moshae,” Jaal spoke up, breaking the silence. “What did you say? You had a good shoulder. I want to be able to help you. I spoke with Cora and she explained that you are experiencing a type of guilt associated with the choices that you made.” The Angaran turned to face him, this Scott that stood in front of him looked defeated, like he’d already given up and Jaal did not like this expression on Scott Ryder’s face. “Why will you not allow me to be there for you? Even before this...incident with the Archon, you had been avoiding me.”

 

Scott wanted to deny that he’d been avoiding Jaal but he knew that he had been. He tossed the rock on the ground and kicked it off the ledge, not bothering to catch it this time. “Jaal, this...humans...we’re not exactly as open with our feelings as the Angara.” When he’d first met the species and really got to know them, Scott was surprised by how open they were with their emotions, there was virtually nothing taboo when it came to expressing themselves unlike humans, being overly emotional as a human was often frowned upon, and if you weren’t emotional at all...well that was just a different story.

 

“This is had noticed,” Jaal replied. The human could have sworn he heard a slight smile in his voice. “Have I done something to offend you?”

 

“God no!” Scott almost cried. He shook his head with a startled look on his face. “Jaal, you’ve done nothing to offend me! Fuck. Okay, I have been avoiding you but...this is my mess and I need to learn how to push through my feelings without having to drag my friends through the mud.”

 

“But what if you don’t have to?” Jaal offered.

 

When Scott finally decided to look at the Angaran, he was taken aback by the raw emotion in his eyes. Those eyes really were his favorite thing about Jaal Ama Darav, they reminded him of when he was little and used to look up at the stars to see nothing but endless potential. Scott gulped and red flooded his cheeks. “Jaal...I...I don’t want to be friends with you. I want more...I just...don’t think I’m in a good place right now to-” What Scott hadn’t expected was Jaal to genuinely smile at him. He reached forward and placed his hands either side of his face and pressed their heads together. “Jaal?”

 

“You are still a foolish man Scott Ryder.” The purr in the Angaran’s voice pulled a shudder out of the human that Jaal was sure they could feel all the way from Aya. “This place you are in, if it is bad, let me in so I may help you escape it. And then let me stay.”

 

Scott closed his eyes as he tried his hardest to ignore the tears that were threatening to spill. “I killed them Jaal...I left Raeka and the Salarian’s behind to the mercy of the Kett...I’m a monster.” He clutched Jaal’s rofjinn like it was the only thing keeping him from drifting off into the despair of his own mind. “Dad would never have done it, neither would have Sara. They would have _saved_ them all, I should be the one that’s in a coma, Sara should be Pathfinder!” As he ranted like a madman, Scott could no longer deny the tears streaming down his face.

 

Gently Jaal brushed away each tear as it fell. It was strange seeing the human like this when Scott always seemed so strong. Up until now, he’d always thought that there was nothing that he couldn’t face head on with that cocky smirk and arrogant spark in his pale blue eyes but...this Scott was fragile, almost like he was made out of glass. This was a side to Scott Ryder that made his heart ache. Cora had given him great insight into what to expect when the human finally allowed his feelings to surface but Jaal didn’t expect it to be so...wet? Human’s when they cried were rather messy. “Scott, you cannot save everyone, as much as you might like to think you can, it isn’t possible. It is something that took me a long time to understand and I think you will too. You do not give yourself enough...what is the word...credit. You do not give yourself enough credit, you _died_. Again. These feelings are normal.”

 

“ _Jaal is right. Feelings of this nature are normal Scott. I cannot say if your father or Sara would have done a better job but I can say that your father would have been faced with the same choice. There was simply no chance to save both Raeka, the Salarians and the Krogans._ ”

 

Scott buried his face in Jaal’s chest, ignoring the hard ridges he could feel beneath his rofjinn that he desperately wanted to touch and lick. Upset and horny, fuck that was not the best combination in the galaxy. More pathetic when you look at it. “I’m a mess…” he whispered.

 

“Yes, but you are...my mess, if you will allow yourself to be?” the Angaran suggested. He pulled back, careful to make sure that he was still connected to the human...his human. Jaal brushed away his tears, watching as Scott processed the offer just presented to him.

 

“Yes.” It took everything out of him to even say that single word but when he did, Scott felt like the entire weight on his chest lifted. It wasn’t entirely gone but now he had someone to help him share the load. Scott let go of Jaal and sank to his knees before he fell back on his ass. “You’re special to me Jaal...I was worried that you would reject me. I’m human...you didn’t like me when we first met.”

 

“I wanted to kill you.” Jaal sat down beside him and smiled when his human let his head rest against his shoulder. “When you walked down the ramp of the Tempest I wanted to shoot you and not suffer the same torment from your people that we have with the Kett. I boarded your ship with the intention of doing just that if you betrayed us.”

 

“That’s...not very comforting,” Scott frowned, trying to process what Jaal had just told him. But then again, they hadn’t exactly made the best first impression, landing whilst on fire...that was a first contact for the history books. “What made you change your mind?”

 

“When you looked the Cardinal in the eye and told her you would...what was it?” Jaal asked. “Fuck her shit up?” He looked down at Scott when he felt him jerk away and tilted his head a little when he realized that he was laughing silently. “Did I say something wrong?”

 

Scott shook his head as he replayed that sentence in his head over and over again. “Don’t take this the wrong way Jaal but I don’t think you’re cut out for swearing.” He stared out at the landscape before them and pulled his legs up against his chest so he could let his head rest in his knees. “Jaal?”

 

“Yes Scott?” The Pathfinder looked so small and vulnerable sitting there, Jaal shifted and put his arm around Scott’s shoulder which he willingly leant into.

 

“Thank you.”


	3. 03.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Cora have a little bonding time. The Pathfinder introduces Jaal to a timeless classic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally supposed to be an entirely different {and shamelessly smutty} chapter but it was getting way too long...like over five thousand words long and I'm not even done. So I decided to split it into two parts. I've been sitting on this for way too long and decided to post it. 
> 
> I do not own Mass Effect or anything affiliated with it, I'm just playing in their cubby house

Scott returned to the _Tempest_ at the end of the week and to his relief, none of the crew took to treating him any differently. The previous day was filled with worrying over nothing but to his credit, Jaal said nothing about it. He simply sat and watched as Scott pulled apart a shuttle nav module and put it together again. The Pathfinder could feel Jaal’s eyes burning into him, but still he said nothing. It was nice having Jaal’s company.

 

During those days on Havarl, Scott found that he was able to talk far more freely about his emotions than he ever had been. In the past, his father was never the sort to be emotionally available and neither was his mother, god rest her soul. Sara had always been his compass but she wasn’t here to give advice {or slap him up the side of the head when he was being an idiot}. Jaal sat and listened, he always let Scott finish and even when he judged his actions or emotions, it never felt like he was being judged at all.

 

Neither of them said anything about the development in their relationship, but Cora noticed the minute they walked on board. Nothing ever escaped that woman’s notice, she had eyes like a hawk and intuition that ran deep and true. However his third night back on the ship during their regularly scheduled meditation sessions, Core threw that careful reserve out the window and outright asked him the second she entered the cabin. “What’s going on with you and Jaal?”

 

The questioned startled Scott midway through pulling a shirt on, covering the large, angry bruises across his torso. “What the hell Cora?” he gristled. It wasn’t like her to just come out and say something like that without at least warming him up frost. Nope, just pull the bandaid off the wound with no warning. “Don’t you think that’s a little personal to be asking me?”

 

“I’m not asking as your second,” Cora informed him, her blue eyes ever watchful. “I am asking as your friend. Before you answer, I want you to know that I’ve noticed the difference. Even in the conference calls and the tones of your emails. Seeing you two gravitate towards each other like that just confirms what I suspected months ago. You’re in love with Jaal.” Seeing the look on Scott’s face just confirmed it. He looked like he’d been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar. His face had turned bright red and he was making an effort to look everywhere but her. “Scott?”

 

Scott groaned. “Cora, can you sound a little less disappointed parent and a little more like you’re my friend?” She sounded so much like his father whenever Scott got in trouble for fighting or dragging Sara along to something...unbefitting a child of Alec Ryder. “You sound like my dad.”

 

Croa pressed her lips together, she knew of the...tense history between Scott and his father, she’d seen Alec in the aftermath of one of their many fights. “So you’re not denying it?” she questioned.

 

“I like Jaal, a lot more than I probably should,” Scott confessed. He moved over to the window, his wolf-like grace almost making him look like a predator stalking its prey. “He...listens, and when he gives advice it never sounds like he’s judging me even when he is.” He chuckled a little and crossed his arms, blue eyes scanning the dark canvas of space. “I’ve had relationships with men and women before...there was a couple of Turian’s in there as well but this is beyond that. I like having him around, even if we’re not compatible.” Truthfully he’d thought about that a few times since Jaal had come onboard, but now it mattered less and less the more time he spent with the Angaran. “I know you’re looking out for me Cora, and I know I haven’t been so...forthcoming with you about everything lately.”

 

“You haven’t exactly had reason to,” Cora answered as she fell in beside him. “Since you became the Pathfinder, and the position was technically supposed to be mine, I haven’t been the most accommodating towards you.” She’d been trained by the very best Huntress commandos that the Asari had to offer, keeping her emotions close to her chest was something she’d had drilled into her from the get go. “We’re friends, companions, we fight together and through everything it’s clear that you are the better Pathfinder, Scott. You lead with your heart as well as your head. Don’t doubt yourself.” She nudged him gently with her shoulder, “and if you _ever_ feel like doing something stupid like taking a shuttle and trying to kill yourself again I will lock you in a room with Lexi.”

 

Scott visibly shuddered but he did appreciate the thought. “Thanks Cora,” he smiled, nudging the blonde back slightly.

 

“Angaran representative or not, I will kick his ass if he hurts you,” Cora warned him. “Someone’s gotta look out for you the way you look out for us.” The biotic stepped back from the window and crossed over to the meditation mats on the floor. “And SAM will tell me, won’t you SAM?”

 

“ _You are correct Cora. The emotional well being of Scott Ryder is my top priority. Even if it is not his._ ”

 

“Seriously guys, you can stop ganging up on me,” Scott grumbled. There wasn’t an ounce of displeasure on his face as the Pathfinder stood on the violet mat across from Cora. “You and the crew are the closest thing I’ve got to a full family right now and I feel...I feel like an idiot because I didn’t notice it earlier. I was so caught up on trying to fix Sara and chase around my father’s secrets that I forgot the family that I had in front of me.” He cleared his throat and clapped his hands together, “right Cora Harper, what are we doing today?”

 

Cora huffed, a smile pulling at her lips as she practically absorbed Scott’s confession. That one was getting filed away for another day because she was damned if she ever refused to acknowledge this odd bunch of dorks was her family. “I thought instead of trying to meditate in the traditional sense, we might try some meditation stances. They are combat stances taken from the martial arts used by Asari Commandos.”

 

“Sounds intriguing.” And they were. For the next hour Cora put Scott through his paces learning three separate stances that were common among rookie commandos. Seeing how they were supposed to be for newbies, Scott felt a little out of shape considering he was a sweaty mess by the time they were done. When their hour was up, both biotics were surprised to find Jaal was perched on the beige sofa with a tablet sitting beside him. “Jaal, how long you been here?”

 

“Not long,” the Angaran answered. “Kallo requested I bring you his latest reports on the _Tempest_ functionality, I found what you were doing to be...intriguing.” His eyes were big and wide, almost like they were absorbing everything in the room. “Should I not have done that?”

 

“You can watch anytime,” Core answered. “Your people let me study your combat techniques, this is no different.” She winked at Scott causing him to choke on a mouthful of water. “When you two are done being sickeningly cute over there, don’t forget you have to finish reading those reports for the meeting with Evfra before we get to Aya.” It was surprising how she could go from playful to soldier in a matter of moments. “Bye Scott, Jaal.”

 

Jaal watched Cora as she left the room, satisfied that she wasn’t coming back, he turned his gaze to Scott.”What were you doing?”

 

“Meditation,” the human answered. “It’s supposed to help me connect to my biotics a little better. Calm the internal _blah, blah, blah_. It works for a time, that’s all that matters.” Scott swiped his towel off his bed and ran the rough fabric over his face, cringing slightly. “Thanks for that report from Kallo, although he could have just emailed it to me.”

 

“And if I wanted to bring it to you?” Jaal questioned. The Angaran got up, his eyes never leaving Scott’s form as he virtually sauntered over to him. “You have been busy these last few days. I wanted to check if you were alright.”

 

“I’m fine,” Scott answered truthfully. “SAM?”

 

“ _I have been instructed to tell you if Scott is otherwise_ ,” the AI informed Jaal. “ _Both Scott and Cora agreed that this is the best path of action if the situation arises in the future._ ”

 

The Pathfinder nodded in agreement. “Honestly Jaal, you...you helped a lot. I plan to keep you around for a lot longer if you’ll want a squishy human like me.” He grinned sheepishly and threw the towel over his shoulder. “I’m gonna have a shower, you wanna stick around for a bit and I can show you that show I was talking about?”

 

“I do not know Scott, Gil tells me that it is...rather cheesy,” Jaal contested. Although the way Scott continually talked about the classical TV show made the Angaran curious.

  
“Hey!” Scott objected. “I’ll have you know that _Star Trek_ is a timeless classic and I will fight Gil if he says otherwise!” He grabbed the pile of clothes off his chair, “you just wait Jaal Ama Darav, Captain Kirk is going to knock your proverbial socks off!” The human hurried out of his quarters as his fingers ghosted across the keys of his omni-tool in search of the program he had saved in his own personal drive. He knew the show was cheesy but hey...going boldly where no one had gone before was kinda his thing these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Star Trek is a classic even with William Shatner's beautiful over acting. 
> 
> Side note: I've been playing the first Mass Effect and the graphics are probably killing me but damn Shep...just damn


	4. 04.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I'm gonna write Scott/Jaal smut  
> Also me: *furiously trying to figure out how this all works between two different species*  
> Me: I dunno how this is going but my bestie says its good *shrug*
> 
> I last updated this on the 10th of September which was like two and a half months ago. It was sitting there haunting me in my edits so I decided to finish it. Huge shout out to @heartless241 for helping me get off my ass and finish it. xxx
> 
> I do not own Mass Effect or anything affiliated with it, I'm just playing in their cubby house

Evfra de Tershaav was one of the most infuriating, stronger personalities that Scott had ever come across next to that of his father. He was demanding, snappy and had a habit of pushing Scott closer and closer to that explosive argument the two of them knew was going to happen one day. Today was no exception.

 

The meeting with the Resistance had gone just about as well as everyone had expected. Evfra was angry, Director Tann wanted more and Scott just wanted a black hole to swallow him up. It didn’t help that Jaal sat there across the table with _those_ eyes boring holes into his very soul and making him all kinds of antsy. Scott was pretty sure Jaal knew what he was doing.

 

After five hours of being trapped in the same room, the meeting came to an end and Scott summarily fled back to the _Tempest_ for a hot shower and something to eat. The crew were on shore leave for the day and Jaal had been forced to stay behind on Evfra’s request. There was more _Star Trek_ on the cards and Scott had plans to introduce the Angaran to _Next Generation_ when they were done {with the plan of possibly introducing him to the rest of the spin-offs}.

 

When he came out of the shower and traipsed back to his quarters, Scott found Jaal already there sitting casually on the sofa. “What did Evfra want?”

 

“To warn me that our...relationship was not advisable.” Jaal sounded like he was angry, it was something that Scott wasn't used to hearing on the Angaran. His purple skin made it impossible to see the telltale signs of frustration like you could on a human. “I told him that his opinion was valued but not required.”

 

“The best way to tell someone to fuck off without actually saying it,” Scott laughed. “That was the same with me and my father when I dated Ticus. I was still in high school and it seemed like the best way to rebel against Alec Ryder by dating a Turian five years older than me. That was some month.” The Pathfinder slumped down beside Jaal and let his head rest on his shoulder. “Jaal...you...you being with me isn’t going to put you out is it? I don’t know about relationships in your culture and it’s not like you have other species to-”

 

Jaal cut him off with a searing kiss. “I envision many years of us being together Scott. Many, many years _taoshay_.” The Angara’s heart skipped a beat at how wide and full of awe his human’s eyes grew at the thought. “Perhaps one day, our two houses will be joined as one and we will start our own family.”

 

Scott swallowed the lump sitting in his throat. “I---I don’t know what it’s like for Angaran’s but human male’s can’t have children.” Well shit, they were having _that_ conversation already. But it made sense, Jaal’s family was huge, so many members running around. Sahuna had stated her son would want at least more than four...Scott didn’t even know if he wanted children to be perfectly honest.

 

“This is perhaps a conversation we should save for a later date.” It was like Jaal could sense his unease at the topic.  “I came here to see if you were okay with my presence this afternoon. That meeting was not kind on you, especially being stuck in the middle of Efvra and Tann.”

 

“Your presence is stopping me from emailing Tann and politely ripping him a new one,” Scott grizzled. “I’ve met some infuriating people in my lifetime but number eight certainly takes the cake.”

 

If Jaal had an eyebrow, it would probably be raised in question right about now. “What is this...number eight?”

 

“Tann was eighth in line for succession when they first arrived in Andromeda,” Scott explained. “But I really don’t want to talk about that debacle right about now. There’s something I wanted to talk to you about and it’s embarrassing but something I said to Cora made me curious.” He sat up and shifted nervously. “Are we---are humans and Angaran’s compatible?”

 

“You speak of the physical part of the relationship?” Jaal questioned curiously. He had to admit his own curiosity on the subject himself, so Jaal had gone to Lexi just yesterday to speak with the doctor over the subject. Vetra’s ribbing over the discovery of Scott’s former Turian lover prompted his own research into their compatibility. “Shall we find out?”

 

Scott’s mind when completely blank. “Y-you-really?” he asked, his voice coming out in a high pitched whisper that made him sound completely hysterical. “Now?!”

 

“We do have the ship to ourselves for two more hours yet.” This time when Jaal leant forward to kiss him and Scott willingly melted into him. With a mind of their own, his hands travelled the soft fabric of Jaal’s rofjinn, deft fingers explored the small ridges on his neck and the smooth skin of his cowl. The human was overcome with the sudden desire to explore and lick every inch of his lover’s body. “Fucking hell...Jaal,” he moaned, morning the loss of his soft lips and rough tongue. Jaal’s response was a low and throaty chuckle that vibrated in his chest. “SAM, privacy mode please,” Scott panted, shutting the proverbial door between him and his AI as well as the rest of the ship.

 

“ _As you wish Pathfinder._ ” There was almost a hint of a smirk there in the AI’s voice.

 

Scott pressed a lighter, chaste kiss to Jaal’s lips as he crawled into the Angaran’s lap. He didn’t hesitate to grab the bottom of his shirt and pull the pesky fabric over his head, tossing it aside. _Please don’t let this be a dream_.

 

“This is no dream Scott.” Jaal’s voice was like thunder in a foggy haze and oddly soothing. He wrapped his arms around Scott’s waist and planted light kisses against his jaw, traveling down to the human’s neck. Scott’s breath caught in his throat when Jaal’s lips ghosted across his skin. “Interesting.”

 

Scott shivered, with each kiss, Jaal lingered a little longer until he gently sucked the skin and earned a low whine from his human. “W-we should...p-probably move to the bed,” he managed to spit out. Mentally kicking himself, Scott wanted to cry at the loss of contact but Jaal simply locked arms around him and stood up. “Jaal I can walk!” His objections weren’t that forced.

 

“Of course you can,” he smirked. Jaal navigated his way to the bed and dropped him on the mattress. His eyes never left his lover’s form as he propped himself up on his elbows, Scott hungrily watched him shed his rofjinn followed by his shirt. An odd sound, something similar to a strangled moan and a squeak spilled from the human’s lips and his blue eyes blown wide open. “Is this form pleasing?”

 

“Oh yeah,” Scott breathed. He wondered over Jaal’s naked torso, wanting to burn the image in his brain forever. Their two forms were so different. Where Jaal was all sharp, protruding bones with conclaves he was _dying_ to explore with fingers and tongue, Scott was flat and somewhat scared, his torso defined with muscles from years of combat training. Jaal Ama Darav was the single most beautiful creature Scott had ever seen. “Very pleasing.” Not wanting to waste time, Scott hooked his fingers under his waistband and wriggled out of the sweats he was wearing. With his cock free from the apparently torturous fabric, Scott found himself overcome with nerves. What did Jaal think of his form?

 

“You have that look on your face,” Jaal purred. His eyes roamed over Scott’s body, absorbing and committing to memory every curve, every scar, blemish and tattoo that his lover had marked into his skin. There were five tiny scars on the side of his hips that the Angaran was _very_ curious about but he set aside that question for later.

 

Normally Scott would be the first to argue about _that_ look, but right now, he was at a loss. Jaal had shed the last of his clothing which brought a whole new range of thoughts to his already cluttered brain. He had _no idea_ how this was supposed to work. The area between Jaal’s legs was clearly lacking what was {maybe} needed to continue. Scott expected at least something to be there but red flooded the man’s face as he tilted his head. “How-Jaal, how are-how is-” Scott pressed his lips together and bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from talking. They probably should have talked about this first.

 

“You are thinking too much Scott.” Jaal climbed on the bed, he towered over his human as he pressed his body against Scott’s, earning the single most filthiest moan he’d ever heard. The Pathfinder was by no means a small human, he had plenty of muscle from years worth of training but Jaal was all over him. The Angaran blocked out everything in his vision, keeping Scott’s focus solely on him and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Jaal took the human’s hand and together they trailed them down their bodies.

 

Scott shuddered at the light brush of skin against his aching erection, blue eyes growing wide when he suddenly felt something warm and _wet_. Where there would normally be a hard shaft on a human male, there was a slit, some kind of slick was pooling round the sides, making it easy for Scott to run his fingers along the lips. The action earnt a rather throaty moan from his lover. “Scott, my member will emerge with the correct stimulation.” Lexi would get a kick out of drilling him for information after this. Scott felt like he was a part of some kind of weird documentary- “You are thinking too much Scott,” Jaal breathed into his ear. “Stop thinking and let your body lead the way...let your heart tell you what your mind will not.”

 

“You’re such a poet.” He placed his hand over where he could only guess where Jaal’s heart was, leaning in to kiss the Angaran. Jaal meet him halfway, a rush of electricity running through his body and straight to his dick, enough to make Scott jump beneath him. Somehow, he didn’t think that the Angaran bioelectricity wasn’t meant for exploits in the bedroom...but it didn’t hurt.

 

“Scott will you touch me again?” Jaal asked breathlessly. He took Scott’s hand, moving between their bodies...the look on the Pathfinder’s face was priceless at the feeling of a slick hardness there now where moments ago there had been nothing there. Scott instantly wrapped his hand around Jaal’s shaft, giving it a slight tug, eliciting a breathless moan from his love. Jaal had seen those hands wield an assault rifle with deadly accuracy, beat a man senseless for harming his crew. The delicate touches and sensual caresses were a whole new side of Scott that had the Angaran’s heart swell two sizes in his chest, his human was an enigma that he looked forward to figuring out.

 

Scott groaned as a ruch of electricity shot through him...damn there were so many ideas that popped into his head...a hundred and one uses-

 

“Stop thinking Scott,” Jaal cut in. He pressed soft kisses against his jawline, traveling slowly across his flesh. “I want to be with you. Let me be with you.” The Angaran pulled back, he was leaning above Scott as he reached under the pillow, fishing for a tube he’d put there earlier when his human was in the shower.

 

Red flooded Scott’s cheeks when he realized that it wasn’t just the lube he had stashed in his nightstand. He wasn’t actually sure what it was but it had a medical stamp on it… “Lexi is never going to let me live this down Jaal.”

 

“You are correct, she asked for notes.”

 

Scott made himself a mental note to avoid the good doctor for as long as possible as he watched Jaal. He wants to get a good look, seer everything to memory... _and he meant everything_. “So um Jaal...I’m probably reaching here but there’s definitely going to be blow jobs in the future.” Instead of answering the puzzled look on Jaal’s face, Scott turned, moving to his hands and knees, yes he was going to let his tongue do a lot of exploring over those ridges and not just the ones on his chest.

 

He opened his mouth to tell Jaal what he needed to do first but stopped at the feeling of something warm and wet touching him. “J-Jaal?” _Shit that felt damn good_. “Been doing some research?” he managed ask shakily, looking back over his shoulder.  

 

“I did say Lexi asked for notes,” Jaal replied. If he had eyebrows, right now they’d be narrowed in concentration as he focused Scott. The blush in Scott’s face spread down his body and his muscles quivered with each touch, he was gripping the sheets tight enough that his knuckles were turning white. Jaal rubbed his hand against Scott, earning a moan from the Pathfinder. “Your body is somewhat like an instrument Scott. If I pluck the right strings, you sing.”

 

“Jaal…” Scott arched off the bed, electricity shot through him. He so badly wanted to touch himself, the ache was terrible but if he started than he wasn’t going to last. He nearly jumped straight off the bed when he felt one of Jaal's fingers press inside him. The stretch burnt, it reminded Scott of his first time but the feeling quickly faded when Jaal moved his hand. “Shit Jaal…”

 

“Did I hurt you?” the Angaran questioned, his eyes wide with worry.

 

“The pace is killing me but take your time,” Scott joked. He glanced back and stuck his tongue out, earning himself a deft smack on the ass. The Pathfinder yelped. “Playful...I’ll get you for that Jaal…” he tapered off, the words turning into an almost whine when Jaal added a second finger. What he wouldn’t give to see what his lover was actually doing.

 

“I think playing you is now my favorite thing to do,” Jaal whispered huskily, pressing deeper inside Scott. The human tensed and shuddered, pushing back into his touche, Jaal gently ran his other hand along Scott’s back. “Your cries are my music…”

 

“Oh hell Jaal,” Scott groaned. He couldn’t take the pace much longer, his cock was leaking precum onto the sheets. “Ready...so, so damn ready,” he whined, pushing back, earning a throaty chuckle. “Don’t worry about hurting me...I can take a little pain.”

 

“You forget Scott, I’ve seen you fight,” Jaal answered. “I know how _much_ pain you can take.” The Angaran withdrew, he smirked a little when he heard the mournful tone from Scott at the loss of his fingers. “You are an enigma, two sides that I very much cannot wait to discover. Breath out darling one.”

 

“I hope you never figure me out,” Scott declared. “That way you can keep trying and trying and try-” He stopped speaking, there was pressure at his entrance that turned quickly into an all-too familiar sensation that set his skin aflame, Jaal was much bigger than just a few fingers but the burn was all too welcome. Fire travelled up his spine as his felt his lover bury himself, where it touched, it was almost like a million bombs had gone off all under his skin

 

“ _Taoshay_ this is…” Jaal was lost for word, Scott’s hole fluttered and clenched around him, it was tight and warm, everything he could have hoped for and more. Jaal was afraid to move, he didn’t want to hurt his human in such an intimate moment as this.

 

Sensing his unease, Scott looked back, his pupils blown wide with lust and desire, so much so, there was hardly any blue left in his eyes. “Move,” he rasped.

 

Jaal moved, slowly and calculated at first. Each tiny thrust pulling a rumbling cry out of Scott’s throat. Wordlessly the Angaran rocked against him, his motions becoming more and more confident with each passing moment. Beneath him, the human was slowly but surely coming undone. All the pose and control that was Scott Ryder was melting away leaving him a moaning, whimpering mess.

 

A fine layer of sweat across Scott’s back almost made him look like he was glistening in the light that flooded through the window. He almost wondered if anyone could see them, _let them see what I can reduce this beautiful man to,_ he thought, moving against Scott’s body. Jaal kept his hands planted firmly on his hips, as if he would lose him if he let go.

 

He was all-too aware of Jaal, he could feel him _everywhere_ , inside, outside...there was no space between them. The Pathfinder couldn’t tell where Scott Ryder ended and Jaal Ama Darav started. A right hand moved from his hip and when it wrapped around his cock, little waves of electricity rolling over his body, he nearly passed out from the hot, blinding sensation. It was like his nerves were all exploding in the best possible way. There was no more room in his mind for anything else that wasn’t Jaal. “ _Please, please, please_ ,” he repeated over and over again. Scott wasn’t sure what he was begging for, only that it was and it made Jaal move faster.

 

“Do you care to finish, darling one?” Jaal breathed in his ear. Scott nodded, a whimper only making it’s way from his lips in answer to his question. He tightened his grip around his cock and drove into him harder, faster, deeper, Jaal could just about feel his lover’s orgasm as his body went rigid, his chanel tightening around him.

 

Scott arched his back and gripped the sheets hard enough that he could feel his own nails digging into his palms. He cried out hoarsely and vision went white hot as he came. His arms shook as he struggled to keep himself upright, Jaal’s powerful movements indicating that he wasn’t quite finished with him yet. Scott was one big nerve rubbed raw from pleasure, but he never wanted it to stop.

 

Jaal let his cock go and returned to his hips, he could feel his own completion rising from deep within. He cried out Scott’s name, Jaal’s beautiful, deep voice shattering into a breathless moan that rumbled through his body and into the human beneath him. His grip on Scott’s hips tightened over the five tiny scars and he came deep within him, invisible sparks shooting off their bodies and exploding into fireworks only they could see.

 

Scott’s arms gave out and he collapsed into the bed, bonelessly followed by Jaal who rolled beside him as not to crush him. “W-wow…” he panted. He turned his head to the side, it was about the only thing that was actually following any sort of command. “Jaal...that was amazing...I love you.”

 

Jaal was beaming with pride. “And I love you, darling one.” He placed a small kiss against Scott’s forehead before drawing the Pathfinder in closer to him. “You _are_ incredible.” The Angaran went to get up to find a cloth in order to clean them both up but Scott was unwilling to let him go. “Scott?”

 

“Clean up later...right now I want to bask in you and have a nap,” Scott replied. “We can shower later and I’ll show you exactly what a blow job is.”

 

His human was already halfway gone as it was, Jaal did not want to disturb him, Scott got so little rest as it was. Jaal nodded and lay back down beside him, “sleep _t_ _aoshay_ , I will see you in your dreams.”

 

“Looking forward to it,” Scott yawned, a cheeky smile pulling at his lips.


	5. 05.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A year on and everything is still going strong...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me playing ME:A a third time: Ohhhhhh let’s romance Reyes or Cora this time...or maybe even Peebee…  
> Also me: JAAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
> Also me: *wildly distracted by Reyes fanart on Pinterest*
> 
> So know that there is a Mass Effect book called Annihilation centering around the Quarian ship the Keelah Si’yah. I haven’t read it yet, it’s on my to read list {I do not joke when I say there’s like two hundred books on that baby alone} but for the sake of all the Pathfinders being together I decided to ghost around a few details. God I wish they brought out that DLC like they were {maybe} planning to. 
> 
> I don't own Mass Efffect - I'm just playing in their cubby house. 
> 
> { I also clearly have no beta :D }
> 
> And a huge, HUGE thanks to my muse for putting up with my SCOTT AND JAAL ARE SO CUTE rants at two in the morning...

“This isn’t a topic up for debate guys! So drop it if you know what’s good for you!” Scott ordered. He was using his Pathfinder tone of voice as he brushed passed both Peebee and Liam on his way towards his quarters. He’d just finished a meeting with Kallo and Gil, and his brain was on tech overload. The last two hours had been spent going over some of the new systems that had been put in place with the Tempest’s latest upgrades. Scott was in desperate need of a shower and a shave before arriving back on Meridian for the ceremony.

 

On his way, the Pathfinder had accidentally stumbled on Peebee and Liam in a supply closet working a still from parts he was pretty sure made him suspect that Gil was involved as well. Considering the oddball crew Scott had, he knew there had to be more perpetrators involved. “You’re not taking homemade alcohol to a diplomatic event with Tann and Addison around. Are you two insane?! Now I like to consider myself a fair leader but one hundred percent is that not coming with us.”

 

“You’re no fun,” Peebee pouted, trying her best to match Scott’s glare but failing miserably. “I’d have thought since you’re gettin’ in regularly that you’d be a little nicer and _way, way_ more fun.” When his glare turned downright vicious, the Asari held her hands up in surrender. “Hey look….rem-tech.” Peebee practically ran off with her non-existent tail between her legs, rushing passed Jaal and Cora on their way from the vid-con. “Careful Jaal, your boyfriend’s in a bitchy mood.”

 

Scott huffed in annoyance as he trudged towards his quarters. He wasn’t in a bitchy mood, he just didn’t need any of his team causing trouble for the anniversary celebrations. Nexus officials required all four Pathfinder’s to be at port in order to celebrate the one year anniversary of the alliance victory against the Kett. He was excited to go, he just didn’t want his team make themselves look bad with leadership there...especially Tann. He would have been happier to go home after spending the last few months doing his Pathfinder thing, but Scott had an image to uphold and this was just another thing on that list. Although he was looking forward to seeing Sara again, as well as the other Pathfinders.

 

Cora shrugged and motioned for Jaal to follow the retreating brunette, she for one liked the more open version of Scott Ryder that had graced the Tempest since he started seeing him. The Angara were definitely onto something when it came to being open with their feelings. “I’ll let you guys know when we arrived at Meridian.”

 

“Thank you Cora.” Jaal made his way towards the quarters he shared with Scott whenever they were onboard the Tempest, He found it easier to sleep when his human was with him, and took great joy in knowing that his lover felt the same. Jaal had always thought that once the Kett were defeated, his people would be given a chance to relax for the first time in nearly a hundred years. He’d never been more wrong. It would seem that they were all busier than ever. There was so much to do; reclaiming their homes, looking for exaltation facilities, creating new settlements for the thousands of Milky Way aliens that were now in Heleus.

 

The past twelve months had been hectic, the Pathfinder team had been all over the cluster. They spent their time exploring new worlds and chasing down Remnant technology along with the odd cells of Kett that showed up. All the while Meridian was being perfected and added to as a beacon of hope for the galaxy. Thousands of people called the planet home and whilst more were doing the same thing each day, he and Scott hadn’t decided on anything that wasn’t their quarters in the Tempest.

 

“Scott, is something the matter?” Jaal questioned, entering their quarters to find him staring out into space.

 

“Nothing’s wrong,” Scott confessed. “I hate pulling the leadership card but sometimes when it comes to Peebee and Liam it’s the only thing you can do to make them listen. Not that they’re not good crewmates,” he added at the end. He brushed his hand through his curls, making the brunette strands stick up all odd kinds of angels, although at this point it looked like he’d been pulling at it a lot. “Once we get passed all this pomp and circumstance it’ll be nice to sit back and relax with the other’s. I want to see Sara and I want to catch up with the other Pathfinders.”

 

Jaal came up behind him and wrapped his arms around Scott, pulling the human back against his chest. “And?”

 

Scott laughed. Jaal apparently knew him too well. “I’m not worried about Tann or Addison...well not as much as I let on but I promised Sara that I’d behave.” After the incident with the Archon, Sara joined the Tempest crew and Pathfinder team for nearly six months before she was offered a position with the Moshae. The elder Ryder was reluctant to take it and leave Scott but he’d pushed her into taking it, Sara respected the Moshae, even before she first met her. Of course spending a lot of time on Aya protecting the Moshae meant that Sara, in turn, spent a significant chunk of time with Evfra. Scott nearly choked when she told him there was some odd flirting going on between the two, if he hadn’t of seen it, he wouldn’t have believed it himself. “She decided to make her move on Evfra after the ceremony.”

 

Jaal made a sound in the back of his throat that wasn’t a laugh but it wasn’t disapproving either. “Brave girl. I wish her all the luck in the galaxy.” He could still remember when Evfra met the eldest twin, the resistance leader couldn’t believe that they’d been cursed with _two Ryder’s_ even if Sara was more like Cora than her brother. “I find it...admirable that you’re fretting over your sisters romantic attachments _taoshay_.” Jaal inhaled Scott’s unique scent and sighed happily. “I’ve been thinking about going to Havarl to spend some time among family. And I hope that you will come with me? My mother keeps asking about you.”

 

“Despite the emails she’s always sending me?” Scott teased playfully. It was nice to have such an open relationship with his lover’s true mother. “You’d swear she was my mother the way she keeps lecturing me on how I’m not taking care of myself.” Sahuna was eager to learn everything about the Milky Way that she possibly could. “I just assumed you were her source of information,” he shrugged. “Makes me miss my mum sometimes.” It might have been just him and Sara now in Andromeda, but being welcomed into such a large family like Jaal’s made Scott feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

 

The twins were still no closer to figuring out a cure to the sickness that kept their mother in stasis. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out soon,” Jaal assured him, as if reading his mind. “And I will have the pleasure of meeting the woman who raised you.” He pressed a kiss to the back of Scott’s head and reluctantly untangled himself from his arms. “Finish what you were doing before I interrupted you.”

 

“Shave and shower,” Scott nodded, running his fingers over the course hairs that formed the scruffy beard he was sporting. “Should be done by the time we land.” The Pathfinder headed to the door and stopped in his tracks. “You know I’ve been doing a little thinking of my own Jaal, we should sit down and decide on somewhere that we can live whether it be Meridian or the Nexus or Havarl. The Tempest is all very well and good but we really need a place to call home. I mean after all...that’s what we came to Andromeda for in the first place. A fresh start...and it’s about time I take it.”

 

Jaal took a moment to let that sink in and found himself chuckling a little. “Scott, you cannot...let the cat out of the bag and then take off to have a shower.” He grabbed Scott’s hand before he could get any further out of their quarters. “Would you really consider Havarl over Meridian or the Nexus?”

 

“Well sure,” he nodded absently. “Captain Dunn said they’re dismantling the Pathfinder’s quarters on what’s left of the Hyperion, she put all of dad’s stuff in storage. And honestly it got me thinking about a place of my own. Tann sent a not-so subtle email saying I have quarters on the Nexus if I want them. Addison is politely pushing towards a place on Meridian. And Havarl is where your family is. We can sit down later on tonight and talk about it but I thought you should know that it’s on the cards. That’s if you want to find a place with me.”

 

“Nothing would make me prouder or happier than to share a home with you Scott.” Jaal placed his hand over his _taoshay’s_ heart. “Tonight we can discuss this further.”

 

* * *

 

“Look what I managed to steal from the storage room.” Vederia grinned sheepishly as she sat down with a bottle of Akantha and five glasses, her secret mission an obvious success. The ceremony had gone off without a hitch and now everyone was kicking back and relaxing, eating good food and enjoying good conversation. The Pathfinder’s had delegated themselves to a patch of grass by the lake in the recently finished Jien Garson Memorial Park.

 

“You sneaky Asari,” Scott chuckled, holding two of the glasses so Vederia could poor her ill-gotten gains. “I like it.” He waited for his own glass before leaning back happily to look over the crystal clear water, the lights reflecting off the surface. “Remind me again why we don’t do this more often? Get together I mean and just forget about the Pathfinder thing. When was the last time we did this?”

 

“Pathfinder Hall on the Nexus six months ago,” Avitus replied. “About the time Kesh got into an argument with Tann over some of the Krogan on the Nexus. It was right when the Keelah Si’yah arrived.”

 

“Where is Pathfinder Yered anyway?” Hayjer queried, the Salarian looking over the scattered party goers in search of their fifth member. Eventually he found the Quarian in what appeared to be a deep discussion with a member of the Angara diplomatic delegation. “He said he wanted to inquire about the nutrient paste that the Angara use.”

 

“He can’t drink it,” Vedaria pointed out.

 

“Yeah but the gesture is nice though,” Scott responded. “Symbolic. We’re Pathfinders with our own teams but together we’re a team in itself.” He nudged Vedaria lightly and she pushed right back. “I’ve been meaning to thank you for those maps of the Scourge you sent to Kallo and Suvi. They really appreciated it. We’ve been able to go further these last few months than we’ve been able to before.”

 

“Hey, hey, hey I thought we agreed no shop talk tonight.” It had taken a while for Avitus to come back from losing Macen on the Natanus but Scott was glad he could open up and be more laid back among the five of them. As the Turian pathfinder, Avitus was now based on Eos where many of the Turian’s had chosen to settle. Ever since they'd activated Meridian, the desert planet was slowly, _slowly_ coming to life.

 

“We all lack a considerable social life Avitus,” Hayjer argued flatly. “Well most of us anyway. Scott has his Angaran lover.”

 

Vederia chuckled cheekily, you could have almost sworn there was a touch of red in her cheeks from blushing. “There's first contact Scott and then there's _first contact_.” She burst out laughing when Scott choked on his wine. “I've been holding onto that one for a while. So glad I got around to using it.”

 

“I've faced down the Kett, Exiles, the Roakarr and I nearly die choking on wine,” he over exaggerated. “I didn't  think my cause of death would be so...” Scott paused as he stared at his glass, memories of his father coming to the surface. He was never close with his father but losing him so quickly wasn't something Sara or he had gotten used to yet. Avitus accepted Macen's death but he would never get used to it. The sigh that escaped him was almost sorrowful. “To Pathfinder’s lost.”

 

“But not forgotten.”

 

“ _Scott, Sara would like you to meet her in the gazebo on the other side of the lake._ ”

 

Scott drained the rest of his glass and sat it down on the grass. “Gotta go find my sister. I’ll come back.” He’d been waiting for this all night to be perfectly honest, he got the feeling that Evfra didn’t particularly like him or Sara...well Scott got the feeling that Evfra disliked everyone that wasn’t Angaran...even that was left to interpretation. He brushed his hands off on his pants and left the other Pathfinders as they started to discuss what they thought was happening back home. “Is Sara okay?”

 

“ _She told me not to disclose the contents of her conversation with Evfra de Tershaav_.”

 

“You’re no fun.” Scott slipped his hands in his pockets whilst he walked along the path around the lake. It really was beautiful out here this time of night...they’d risked so much and lost so many in their search for Meridian. Whilst the other Golden World’s hadn’t exactly panned out, this would always be the beginning of their fresh, new start. All that was missing was the moonlight reflecting off the surface of the lake to remind him of the Ryder’s first and only holiday on Earth. “Hey Sara, you okay?” Scott joined his sister as she leant against the railing.

 

She appeared to be lost in her thoughts, it didn’t bode well for what she’d been planning. Scott nudged his twin to catch her attention, smiling sympathetically. “Thanks for coming.” She let her head rest on his shoulder, sighing deeply. “Things went better than expected with Evfra. It’s not going to happen overnight...but there’s movement at least.”

 

“So what happened exactly?” Scott queried. He hated seeing Sara look like she was upset...but in situations like this, the twins always had their mother to talk to.

 

Sara shrugged absently. “That’s a discussion for another time Scottie, but I promised Jaal I’d get you away from your little Pathfinder’s only club meeting.” The elder twin put her arm around Scott and kissed his cheek, “we can talk about it later so don’t worry about me okay.” She steered Scott around and practically planted the brunette right in front of Jaal who was about three parts amused and one part exasperated. “Have fun you two.”

 

“You asked my sister to steal me away from the other Pathfinders?” he chuckled, watching Jaal as he practically sauntered towards him. “You’re up to something sneaky Jaal.” Scott had never been one for surprises, he was the kind of kid who would actively go out of his way so find out what his parents had gotten both him and Sara for Christmas. It drove them nuts. He had to literally and metaphorically sit on his hands when it came to surprise romantic gestures from Jaal...now those the Pathfinder didn’t want to ruin.

 

“Perhaps I am _taoshay_.” Jaal drew Scott into his arms and the two of them starred out over the lake. “Scott, do you remember when I said I envisioned many years of us being together?”

 

Scott suddenly felt like all the air had been knocked strategically out of his lungs. “Holy shit…” he whispered. He was asleep...he head to be. Any moment now SAM would wake him up with his damn internal alarm and they’d still be on the _Tempest_ about to explore another world.

 

“Human customs are incredibly confusing compared to those we have among our people.” Jaal turned Scott around so the two of them were facing each other, his human looked incredibly pale but his cheeks were red. The Angaran loved the colour that appeared on his skin when Scott was embarrassed or flushed or in the throws of passion. He placed his hand over his lover’s beating heart and held Scott’s over his.

 

“Jaal...are you…” Scott licked his lips, suddenly his mouth was dry and his palms were incredibly sweaty. He was torn between wanting the ground to swallow him up whole and the heavens to open up. This...he was supposed to be talking with Sara to see what happened with Evfra...not standing there looking like a drowning fish. Then it dawned on him pretty quickly... _Sara knew...she bloody knew what was about to happen_.

 

“Scott…I asked you on Aya to take me with you wherever you go.” Jaal’s voice hitched just a little but he hid it well, he squeezed Scott’s hand gently and the human, in turn, responded with a squeeze of his own. “We are of two people but we share the same soul, the same heartbeat. I wish for you share the remainder of my years and join our two families as one. Will you marry me?”

He felt dizzy, like he was going to faint. Scott had died twice, he’d faced down the Kett, gone toe-to-toe with the Archon, he’d crossed dark space by having a six hundred year long stasis nap...this felt like all of those things in a single moment. The heat in his face travelled through his body, at this point he probably looked like a flare or a bright red emergency light. As romance went...it was up there as one of the single most romantic things that had ever happened to him. Scott swallowed thickly, he felt like he had cotton stuffed in his mouth. _You’re going to die of old age before you answer him Scott_ , he mentally kicked himself. Maybe he’d forgotten how to breath.

 

Jaal had done everything _perfectly_. It was romantic, incredibly special and his words had to have been antagonized over for weeks, and all Scott could do was imitate his pet hamster as it waited for food. “Scott?”

 

The deepness and worry in Jaal’s voice seemed to knock him back to reality. Scott tightened his hold on the Angara’s hand and surged forward, brushing his lips against Jaal’s. Words appeared to have left him and all he had left was his actions, so he was bloody well going to use them. Scott poured _everything_ into the kiss, he wanted to leave them both breathless and wanting but at the same time give the answer his words were powerless to give.

 

“Is that a yes?” Jaal breathed after they pulled apart.

 

Scott nodded like a maniac. “ _Yes_. Bloody hell Jaal it’s a yes. It’s a million times a yes.” He damn near threw himself into Jaal’s arms and pressed kisses along his cheeks, eventually finding his lips again. There was no way to describe the feelings swirling around in his chest, they were messy and wonderful and scary. None of them made a lick of sense just yet but they were all just as they were supposed to be.

 

Jaal wrapped his arms around Scott, drawing him close enough that they occupied the same space as each other. Physics aside that is. He was beyond words, his Scott had said yes...had shown him yes and that was all he wanted to think about in this moment. “Our years together will be blessed by the stars, and they will be many. I love you Scott.”

 

Scott was blushing furiously, he was giddy and lightheaded, and stuck in the _I can’t believe this is happening to me_ mindset. Jaal let his forehead rest against his, the Angaran’s deep words washing over his very soul. “I love you too Jaal. If I had to cross six hundred years of dark space just to find you again...I would.”

 

He was a Pathfinder. It was his job to be the beacon of hope for the human race, to walk in the shadows in order to path way for the light that was the hope for the future. Now that he had someone to walk by his side...that path wasn’t so dark anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this hilarious conversation with a friend of mine over what I imagine the comatosed Ryder twin’s first meeting with Evfra would be like. It always went along the lines of the Angara having his own internal freakout upon learning there were two Ryder’s now ready and willing to run around Heleus in the Tempest. I think I’ve seen a few bits of fanart on Pinterest and Tumblr that were pretty similar.
> 
> I know it’s taken me forever to finish this whole thing but work and life got in the way which I do apologise about. I probably have a few more ideas up my sleeve in relation to Scott and Jaal - namely their wedding/bonding and I really, really wanna do something that involves actually waking Ellen from stasis because that would be awesome! Has anyone actually read anything in relation to Angaran wedding ceremonies? I’m really curious if you have, comment or flick me a DM. And I’m totally just guessing about where the Angaran’s have their hearts?
> 
> Thanks for sticking with me. 
> 
> PS. Where do young think the two space dorks would live? The Nexus, Meridian or Havarl?


End file.
